Rutland Water Trout

I visited Rutland at the weekend. It is England’s smallest county but the rural character makes it well worth a visit, particularly on a sunny summer weekend. Good things come in small packages and all that.

A couple of miles to the east of Rutland’s county town, Oakham, is the start of a mass of water – Rutland Water. The Anglian Water reservoir is fairly large and wouldn’t be out of place in the Lake District, although the backdrop is less mountainous and more, well, flat. There is a good cycle path that runs round the reservoir and sheep that graze freely on the banks.

Rutland Water in the sun of early summer

After a nice walk in the afternoon sun, playing ‘avoid the cyclist’, on the way back to the car we saw a sign out the front of a lake side guest house, ‘Trout, £2 per pound’. We just could not resist!

– Fillet the fish
– Put a medium saucepan on a high heat with a generous knob of butter.
– Add a couple of sprigs of fresh parsley to the pan
– Rub a pinch of sea salt into the skin of the fish and a squeeze of half a small lemon to the fleshy side
– Fry for 10 minutes each side
– Serve with a garnish of parsley and another squeeze of lemon, good with rice and greens or chips!

I decided to fry my fish on a gas stove in my garden. It felt right to cook and eat it outside. You might try the same, but by a lakeside, or in your kitchen?

Rutland’s motto is ‘Multum in Parvo’ (much in little), and there is certainly the potential to take a lot from this small county, whether it be a long cycle ride, a day on the water, or a locally caught fish!